Development of the Dee Hengst Amphitheater along the Illinois River in Peoria’s Festival Park is advancing, with contracts approved for preliminary design, engineering and construction.
“It’s going to happen, and I think sooner than everybody thinks,” Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said in an interview for WCBU Reports.
Ali believes the 5,000-seat outdoor performance venue will provide an economic impact and cultural benefit for the entire region.
“It’s going to mean attracting people from all over, not just Central Illinois but I think beyond,” said Ali said. “We’re going to attract artists and performers to this outdoor amphitheater that may not have considered coming here before.”
While the project is primarily funded by an $11 million donation to the city from the Hengst Foundation, Ali said it’s looking like the cost may go slightly above that amount.
“I think there’s going to have to be some local fundraising done with the foundation to get the job completely done,” said Ali.
The initial contracts approved by the Peoria City Council at its May 26 meeting called for the city to pay for preliminary infrastructure that may be needed before construction starts. At the time, city attorney Patrick Hayes said the city would not “have any exposure” to any costs above the Hengst donation, but potentially could seek future council approval if the project expanded.
Ali said plans for a $26 million redevelopment of the riverfront on the opposite side of the Murray Baker Bridge remain on the table, but the city is still waiting to receive $15 million in approved funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. When that might arrive remains unclear.
“That’s the million dollar question — multi-million dollar question — because we have $25 million allocated for Main Street; we have $15 million allocated for the riverfront; we have another, I think, $1.5 million allocated for some lighting that’s in the Bradley area, actually Upper Main Street,” she said.
“It’s just a matter of working with the state to get those funds released, and we’ve been waiting quite a while.”
Ali said while the money pledged to the city has not yet been released, Peoria did receive confirmation that “that money is still for us” as part of the budget approved in the spring legislative session.
As for the amphitheater, Ali said the city will work in conjunction with the Peoria Park District and in consultation with the Peoria Civic Center on what kinds of performances and activities might be offered.
She added the Festival Park location would allow for crowds of thousands on top of the amphitheater’s seating capacity.
“We can have some huge riverfront performances and festivals like never before,” she said.
Big Al’s reopening
Ali said she’s glad to see business return to Big Al’s Speakeasy downtown following a lengthy closure in the wake of multiple shooting incidents.
“We never want a nice facility in Peoria just to stay vacant. It is a very nice, newly built at one time, facility, and we have an agreement with the owner and the operators that it will be operating safe,” said Ali.
The club will now have a 1 a.m. closing time instead of 4 a.m., with improved surveillance and security measures to deter criminal activity.
“The [capacity] numbers are limited from what they used to be,” said Ali. “They will have metal detectors that people will not be able to go around. There were some real problems — a shooting inside the venue, shooting in the parking lots — and their goal is to eliminate that, and we’re going to monitor.”
Big Al’s was founded in 1974 and operated in the 500 block of Main Street. Making way for the development of the Courtyard hotel, the club relocated in 2012 to the current spot on Jefferson Avenue next to the CityLink transit center.
Ty Seibert, who already owns and operates other nightclubs in the Peoria area, has taken over Big Al’s and intends to operate the club more as a concert venue while downsizing the adult entertainment side. But Ali said the nature of the business wasn't the issue.
“Cabaret is allowed, strip clubs are allowed in Peoria under our ordinance, and there’s no restriction to say you have to be harder on a strip club with alcohol,” she said. “So it’s not really the type, it’s the type of crowd that you’re allowing there.
“The fact that you’re not ignoring the metal detectors that are in there, you’re restricting weapons from coming in, and you’re having staff that are monitoring behavior and not tolerating fights and gun violence. That’s really the considerations that we allowed for them to proceed.”
